RF Failure Detection

Many transmission lines on a high speed server or network board have signal budgets of 10dB or less. A 1 or 2 dB loss on a solder joint could result in signal integrity failures. This is comparable to the loss typical in a well designed FCBGA package. DC and event detectors find opens. One of the benefits we obtained from the TSV projects is our understanding of the RF measurement technique that was pioneered at NIST. We will attempt to use this technique where instead of using TSVs, we will use existing PCB designs and familiar components to generate a solder joint reliability study. We will compare DC measurements to RF measurements using event detectors.

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Idea Information

Background:

One of the benefits we obtained from the TSV projects is our understanding of the RF measurement technique that was pioneered at NIST

We propose to use this technique to start a new project

Instead of using TSVs for this work, we will use existing PCB designs and familiar components to generate a solder joint reliability study

We will compare DC measurements to RF measurements

Possibly we could use event detection in addition to or alternative to DC measurements

Problem:

Many transmission lines on a high speed server or network board have signal budgets of 10dB or less. A 1 or 2 dB loss on a solder joint could result in signal integrity failures. This is comparable to the loss typical in a well designed FCBGA packageDC and event detectors find opens.

Perhaps this is too late! RF may be able to detect incipient failures earlier.